Hello and how are you ;)

I am sorry I have been a bit absent. 
My Grandfather got moved to a Nursing/rehabilitation home and there is no internet there, so I can't blog.  We have been staying there with him until midnight every night. 

My other reasons are because last week was just a non-stop-hands-on-nursing-nightmare!!!
Let me give you the run down:
1. Being with and taking care of my Grandfather at the Rehabilitation home.
2. My 6 yr old had 102.5 fever for 2 days.
3. The next day so did my 4 yr old.
4. Then the 6 yr old was covered in what looked like measles or chicken pox.
I was loosing my mind, can you picture all of the kids in the house with chicken pox or measles at the same time? 
Thankfully it wasn't that, it turned out that it was a case of hives.  My baby missed me :(
5. I had one day with the 4 yr old having on and off fevers.
6. Then the 7 yr old was next for 1 day with fevers up to 103.5.  After one day of fever, she started crying about a pain in her right side.  Immediately thought it might be her appendix, throughout the night it would come and go, so I let her sleep through the night to see if it would go away, don't worry she wasn't crying anymore.  The next day she said she had the pain on and off throughout the day, so at 4pm, we took her to the E.R 
Yes, immediately they wanted to take out her appendix, now let me tell you why I refused:
4 yrs ago, I went to the hospital, crying my lungs out from a pain in my right side, I was 18 weeks pregnant.  After 15 minutes of "diagnosis" the doctors determined that it was my appendix, though ultrasounds and Xrays (yes Xrays while I was pregnant) didn't determine my appendix to be swollen, they still thought it was that.  So into the O.R I went, we went. Surgery while pregnant (not to mention that for the record I had 3 previous high-risk pregnancies and did the bed-rest thing :/ ), a day later, there was the pain and there were the tears.  With baby's heart in distress I was taken in for more ultrasounds, it was my kidneys!!!  They were shutting down.  WAIT! what about my appendix right?
The doctors said and I quote:
"After we took out your appendix, we saw that it was after all healthy Ma'am, but it's ok, you didn't need it anyways"
Yes, I promise that with my entire heart!!! That is what they said, same hospital I took my daughter too that night, same hospital that has made so many more "miss-diagnosis" on me, but it's the only hospital I can take her too, it's the only Military hospital out here.
So you understand why I didn't let them rush in and operate my daughter, my 7 yr old daughter at that?  She was in fact admitted though, for observation, I know the Doctors were trying to prove me wrong, and say "I told you so!" lol, but I would rather spend many nights in the hospital with my baby, than have her go through the same unnecessary surgery I went through.  We spent 2 days there, her pains are still there, light but not bad.  The Doctor discharged her, and just said to make sure I took her back to the E.R if her pain came back strong.  I have been watching her like a hawk, in the back of my mind i am always cautious about that appendix, but so far so good.

For 3 days now I have been out of a Hospital enviroment, and I guess I just couldn't stay away from a medical atmosphere because on Saturday, I took my entire Family with me to go donate blood.  ;)
I understand that we drove almost an hour, and that a prick on my finger and a poke in my arm are a bit inconvinient, but the thought; the simple thought that my Grandfather has had 4 blood transfusions this year alone that have saved his life, makes everything worth while, and even feels that I have not done even a little bit to repay what has been given to us.
Please think about it.  A blood donation takes no more than 10 minutes, and you can save a life, yes, actually save a person's life with it!!!


Today we spent the day at home, cleaning up what has become a tornado aftermath ;)
It was such a huge difference to see the before and after, I do thank the hubs though, I know he has not had time to clean the house while I have been living with my Grandpa in the hospital, and he has been going to work (and YES, the Navy knows how to work him tired!!) ;)  and coming home to care for the kids and also having time to go visit me in the hospital for lunches ;)
Thank you babe ;)

Next week is already crazy and it has not even started!!!
Monday:
I will naturally spend my day crying, well the majority of it anyways.  I am very emotional and extremely Patriotic, I cry during the National Anthem and get choked up when I hear my babies say the Pledge of Allegiance ;) I will always make sure I tell my kids what the Holiday means, what it represents and it's cost. 

Tuesday: My Grandfather has his first appointment since living in the Nursing/Rehabilitation home.  My nerves are a wreck!  I am so afraid of him having to go back to the hospital. 

Weds-???
I will be staying in the Nursing/Rehabilitation home all day until my aunt can change shifts with me for the night time.  My Grandfather has been feeling a bit better, he has finally started to eat this week, but he still can not do a single thing for himself, and the nurses, though good, can not be by his side when he needs something, so we're there ;)

Thurs:
My stepdad has an appointment with the cardiologist, his pacemaker seems to not be enough for him lately :(  So naturally I will take him and see what's going on. 

So many appointments coming up, things I need to do, and no time to do them in.  I will update more on the rest of the crazy things I have going on later this week ;)

Are you ready for some good news?!?!
I have tons of reviews and giveaways piled up!!!
Thank you so much to the staff and companies that have been extremely understanding while I have been caring for my Grandpa ;)  You rule!!! ;)

I have Gift Cards, and Games, and more Gift Cards and toys, clothes, omg so many great things, and also a great and awesomely big giveaway ;)

 Thank you so much for being my friends, you have been so supportive always ;)
I did loose followers to my blog and twitter during my week of Finalist posts for Sony, but I do not regret it, I did it for my Grampa ;)

Hugs!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much...

Thank you so much to everyone that supported me this last week.
Thank you for all of the thoughts and Prayers for my Grandfather!!!

It was so overwhelming to see all of the support, to read all of the comments, for my Grampa's health, for their wishes of me winning the Grand Prize, but I think that aside from my Grampa's well wishes, the comments about my blogging, my writing, my dedication have been the greatest!

I began blogging privately in 2007 about my thoughts, our adventures, and my broken heart because of Autism.  In November 2009 I decided to become public.  Immediately I met a wonderful community of people who were just like me!
Mothers of special needs kids, mommy's, wives, Military wives, anything I was, there were other people out there like me.  It was Blogland!

I have met so many wonderful people through my blog, I have met some through blogging, facebook-ing, twitter-ing, and even in person.  I have come across some great opportunities and many life changing experiences.

I am very greatfull for it all.

When I became a Finalist for #InfluenceSD for Blog of the Year in San Diego, Ca, I thought that was the best thing ever!!  Don't get me wrong, it still is such an Honor, but I never thought that anything else that big could ever happen to me...
Now, I have become a Finalist for The Sony Style Blogger Contest.  The prizes I received from Sony are more than I could have asked for, to own a Sony X10 that is not released in the US until "who knows?"  That is amazing!!!

This is where I have arrived, to be invited by Legoland Ca, and SeaLife Aquarium Ca to events, simply for my blogging is more than I can say.

Little ol' me, like I said before:
"The little Blogger that could"
That's me, that's always been me, the little person, but today, reflecting on everything I have accomplished, and everything that I have gained, I feel not so little anymore.

Today, whether I win the Grand Prize from Sony Style or not, I already feel like the Grand Prize winner.  I am happy, I am finally happy where I am, I am inspired to become better, and I am excited for the upcoming opportunities, but I am happy, I am satisfied and I feel accomplished!!!

Thank you to all of my friends, near and far, that have stood by me since meeting me.  My Blogland is a community that I have fallen in love with, one that I will never leave ;)

Thank you!!!

Tag, you're it!!! (new list starts on Tuesday)

Guess what?! We got through our 16th week of Tag ;)
It has been fun, I appreciate everyone who played along  ;)

If you don't know what "Tag, you're it!" or "Tag Tuesday" is, simply put, it's a game of Tag ;) 
You "Tag" your new friends and they "Tag" you as well.
(instead of leaving "following from..." comments which is what prompted me to start "Tag"
since I heard many friends say they didn't like how impersonal that sounded)

The Special "Quality" about "Tag, you're it" is that through this game,
you can post the url's to 
your blog, twitter, facebook, "like"on Facebook, networkedblogs, Etsy store, links to voting pages that you are in, contest/giveaway pages and anywhere else you want followers in ;)
  • The Rules to playing "Tag, you're it" are simple:
  • add your information to the spreadsheet "Tag" everyone else above you on the list
    (Tag::add/follow the person and leave Tag comment)
  • Check back regularly to "Tag" new friends below you (list is open all week)
  •  "Tag" back everyone who has "Tagged" you (remember to add/follow in addition to leaving the Tag comment)
Here is the Spreadsheet

Also, if you can, help promote the word ;)
The more people know about Tag Tuesday, 
the more people will Tag you ;)

A BIG thank you goes out to Stacie at Simply Stacie for always playing and posting "Tag, you're it!"

If you posted about "Tag, you're it!", pls send me a comment and I will post your ur ;)
Great "Taggers" who posted about "Tag, you're it!" ;)
Mz. Jazie from Step up & Stand out... For Real!

and just in case you really have to have a button ;)  
my daughter is showing off her skills:




"""Tag means you add/follow a person and leave a Tag comment in return"""

This is it, this is my chance to shine!!!


Yes, I still have a glow about being a Finalist for The Sony Style Blogger Contest, wait, who am I kidding?
A glow? it's more like bright neon light shooting straight through the ozone layer!!!

I am so happy to see that I have made it this far.
Me, the tiny little blogger that could!!!

To me, this is a dream come true!
A stay at home mommy of 6, a Navy wife, a "mommy blogger", a mother that is completely in love and dedicated to her autistic son; how could I ever be more than that?

How could "I" ever be more than just that?!
A Finalist for a Sony Style Blogger Contest?
Never in a million years would I have believed anyone who told me I had a chance at this opportunity!!!
I entered this contest with no hopes or thoughts of ever being good enough to even be looked at, so being a Finalist just tickles me pink!!! ;)

Since being in the hospital for over two weeks now at my Grandfather's side, I have not had the opportunity to blog as I normally would.  Yes, I do feel sad about it, I miss blogging.  I also believe that if I had the chance, I would have blogged my heart out and gotten my posts out there for half of the world to see them.  I believe I do have the heart and passion to be a blogger for Sony Style.  Correction, I know I do. 
Would I leave my Grandfather in the hospital so I could blog and win a contest? Definitely not! 
That's why, though slow, I have still been trying to blog and get the word out about my posts.  Thankfully my Grandfather is doing better, he was moved from ICU last night to regular care.  It brings me so much joy to see my Grandfather trying.  Trying to make it through this, trying to live, trying to go to Africa to watch FIFA with me.  Will he be able to go?  That would be up to the doctors, if and when the time comes, they will make the decision.

Winning the Grand Prize and being a Sony blogger would just be so awesome, even without the trip as a prize.  A blogger for Sony!!! Did you hear that?  How amazing is that!?!?  The Sony Corporation is enormous!!!  So yes, I am still giggling like a little girl at the thought that little ol' me is a Finalist for The Sony Style blogger contest!!!
Did you see what I have already won as a Finalist!?!??!
Unbelievable!!!!


I know I have blogged a few times about the prizes that I won, and truthfully, I can not blog enough about them!!!
Seriously, the Sony Ericsson X10 itself, is still Unreleased in the United States!!!
The PSPgo is so much fun!!!
The FIFA '10 game is giving myself and the kids something to fight over!!! ;)

((drum roll))
Oh my goodness!!!
Have you checked out the Sony Style Blogger Contest page?!?!
Yes, I have blogged about the trip to South Africa to attend the semi-final & the final game of the FIFA World Cup, but did you really pay attention to the rest?!?!

Look at the entire picture!!!
This is what I could win if I am chosen as the Grand prize winner for the Sony Style Blogger Contest!!!!:
  • A trip to South Africa for my Grandpa and myself to attend the semi-final & final game of the FIFA World Cup™ DREAM COME TRUE!!!
  • Travel accommodations to South Africa to attend the games OUTRAGEOUS!!!
  • A Sony Reader Pocket Edition (for our long flight) EXTRAORDINARY!!!
  • A Sony α330 DSLR camera to help document our trip JUMPING WITH JOY!!!
  • Guest Blogger on the Sony Blog AWESOME!!!
Not to mention the prizes from above that I already have in my hands:
  • A Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 phone (giggling like a little girl when I speak about it!!!)
  • PSPgo  (Perfect gift for Moms and Mom's purses!!!)
  • FIFA Soccer 10 game by EA Sports (Super fun and addicting!!!)
 Please help make my Grampa's dream trip come true, and my wish to be a blogger for Sony!!!

This is it, this is the change I need in my life, the thing that is helping my Grampa have faith in his health, the thing I need to validate me as something more than just a "Mom", The thing to make all of my nights by his bedside and with my laptop mean something great!!!

I want to make my Grampa proud of me, I want him to walk into that airport with me, I want him to be so proud of me when he is reading my posts from the Sony Style website, can you just imagine his smile?  His big blue eyes lighting up to see what I have worked so hard for?

I hope that this dream comes true, I want it to come true, I need it to come true, for all of us; especially for my Grampa ;)

The contest ends on Monday at 11:59 p.m, if you think I am worthy of such prizes, please support my Grampa and myself so we can win the Sony Style Blogger Contest, it would mean the world to me!!!
Find me on Twitter @militaryfamof8 and through hashtag #SENDMOMMY2FIFA
Please help us by ReTweeting and by FWD: the link and message to everyone you know, we have one day left!!!
Help make this wish come true!!!

"Sony  provided me with a free  Sony Ericsson X10  phone and a PSPgo and FIFA Soccer 10 game in connection with my  participation in  the Sony Ericsson/Sony Style X10 Blogger Contest, which requires me to  blog  about Sony and/or Sony  Ericsson Products."

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So much fun in the palm of my hands... (FUN PSPgo!!!)

As many of you know, I was chosen as a Finalist for The Sony Blogger Contest (insert screams here)

Two of the gifts I received for being a finalist were a PSPgo and FIFA Soccer 10 game by EA Sports.  

When I first received these gifts I thought:
"what am I going to do with this? maybe I should just give it to the kids"
 It sat in my house for a few days, not knowing what to do with it.  I mean c'mon, what is a Mommy of 6 going to do with a hand held video game?

Those were my thoughts, my beliefs...
until "dun dunn dunnn" (like my 4 year old says)
my husband took the game to me at the hospital.  He uploaded the game for me and set the game up.  Keep in mind that I was still hesitant about playing such a childish game.
To what I remember, he pushed for me to play the game.  I can't remember that at all, I can't remember why I didn't want to play it either, I loved it!

It was so fun, I was playing for an entire team! I was so excited that I jumped up and showed my Grandpa a few times, and he would laugh at me because I was so excited and loud over "such a little game" he said.

OK, so here it is, many of you, well the majority of you have PSP's and or have children who have them right?
Yes, the PSP's are fun, but a bit too heavy for my liking, and the fact that you, or in my case "I" have to carry all of the games for the kids, gets a bit tedious.  Can you picture me carrying at least 4 hand held games, and all of their games, chargers and "stuff"?  Here is what I look like when I need something from my purse:

 Ready for the awesome part?!?!
With the PSPgo, you have nothing extra to carry!!!
Ahh, it was such a relief to see that all of the games are downloaded onto your PSPgo
No more lost games, no more broken games, no more "extra baggage" for 4-6 kids; 7 if you include the husband who always has to have the new tech toys!!!
Oh Sony, you have thought of everything!!!
Hhmm, could a Mom be behind this idea? (giggles)

 The PSPgo is so light, I loved that!!!
I could picture 2-3 in my purse and have them equal the weight of 1 PSP, I am loving that.  I already made a list of the games my husband is going to download for me.  Did you know that here are so many games that are less than $10?!? SUPER!!!

Since my Grandpa got transferred out of ICU tonight, he will now need a little less care, still in the hospital, but thankfully not in critical condition anymore.  I will have moments when I will get to enjoy some time, while he sleeps, and a person can only be on the phone or computer for so long!

I will welcome this new toy of mine, a toy that for once will be mine, a hand held game for mommy, and though I have taught my kids that "sharing is caring", this is a luxury that this mommy has earned for herself.

If by my luckiest stars I was to win the Grand Prize and get the trip to South Africa for FIFA World Cup 2010, it would be just awesome to have only this hand held game to carry in my purse and no additional games and weight for such a long flight.  I would be fully equipped with my Sony Ericsson X10 and my PSPgo to be a happy camper or flier (insert giggle face here)

 I am so excited!
The thought of winning the Grand Prize, of being a blogger for Sony during FIFA 10, and being able to take my Grandfather to Africa is just overwhelming!!!

Seeing all of the comments and the twitter support from friends and people who want to help see my Grandfather's wish come true makes me cry every time.  I have been cheering my Grandfather on, I talk with him about the wonderful things we would do if we were to go to FIFA 10, how much fun it would be to be a part of such a great adventure, "OUR ADVENTURE".
He is hopeful that he will one day get better now, I don't let him be depressed, if I see him sad, I start telling him about the animals and the safari's that we could see.  He has been trying, pushing himself, I am not sure if he is only doing it for me now, if he is only pushing himself so I won't be so sad anymore.  Whatever it is, I am happy for it, if what it takes for my Grandfather to live through this is hoping to go to Africa and make memories with me, then that's what I will do.  I will try my hardest to make that dream come true for him.  If I was to only be a Finalist, and by that I mean not winning the Grand Prize trip to be a Sony Blogger, then I would naturally be sad, but you know what?
To me, the Grand Prize is seeing my Grandfather leave this hospital, alive!
He has been through so much these last few weeks, so many times he was not to be counted on for the next day, but he's beaten the odds so far, and hopefully he will continue to beat the odds!!!
That would be MY Grand Prize, getting my Grandfather back!!!
Becoming a Sony Blogger and going to FIFA

 Here are just some of the specifications of the PSPgo
The PSPgo has:
  • Built in 16GB flash memory
  • Smaller and lighter size
  • No UMD™ slot, all content must be downloaded to the PSPgo
  • Bluetooth enabled
  • Utilizes Memory Stick Micro™ (M2) memory cards
  • Built-in battery
  • Screen slides open to reveal buttons
  • No Hold indicator
  • Uses a Multi Use connector instead of a USB port

"Sony  provided me with a free  Sony Ericsson X10  phone and a PSPgo and FIFA Soccer 10 game in connection with my  participation in  the Sony Ericsson/Sony Style X10 Blogger Contest, which requires me to  blog  about Sony and/or Sony  Ericsson Products."

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Falling in Love all over again... The Sony Ericsson X10 ;)


It's:
Faster than a texting teen,
more powerful than an avid tweeter,
able to leap multiple social apps with a single touch,
It's a camera,
it's a phone,
no it's the Sony Ericsson X10...

That's right you heard me...
To just call it a phone would be just rude,
Plus it would hurt its feelings ;)

You name it, it has it.
MP3 player... Got it.
Access to social media...To easy coach!!!
8.1 mega pixel camera... Say waaaahhhhtt?!?!
Face recognition, no not the kind that finds a face...
THIS face recognition adds a tab with name of the people in the picture!!!
Memory you ask?: micro SD up to 16GB, 8GB included, Phone memory 1GB

And if that's not enough there is this little green robot that hooks you up with massive amount capabilities.
Oh did I forget to mention that you can also use it to call people as well...?
My bad..lol.

There is no way that I can fully describe all that the Sony Ericsson X10 is capable of, or that my pictures will do it justice, but I will say this:
If ever there was a chance to hold the future within your hands...
this is it!!!
 The Sony Ericsson X10 is the future of mobile communications. 

Being in the hospital with my Grandfather, I have had all the time in the world to play with my new phone, and I LOVE IT!!!
Thank you so much to The Sony Style Blogger Contest for giving me the Sony Ericsson X10 as a prize for being a Finalist!!!
It is currently not available in the U.S, but if you ever were waiting to get a new phone, THEE new phone, this will be the phone to want;
the phone to get!!!
Did I mention it only weighs 4.8 ounces?!?!


Here are some of the specifics of this baby:
Camera:
  • Camera - 8.1 Mega pixels
  • Digital Zoom - up to 16x 
  • Auto focus - Automatic focus for optimal clarity. 
  • Face recognition - Your phone automatically recognizes up to five faces in your picture. 
  • Image stabilizer - Avoid blurriness caused by slight hand movements. 
  • Flash / light type - Photo light-When lighting conditions are poor, your picture can still be good. 
  • Send to web - Catch moments with your camera and send straight to your personal web site or blog. 
  • Video recording - Record video clip-Video light-More light when shooting video. 
  • Geo-tagging - Have your photo tagged with information on where it was taken.
  • Smile detection - Let the camera automatically snap the shot when your subject flashes a smile.
Music:
  • TrackID - Record a few seconds of a song and get track, artist and album information sent to your phone in seconds.Media Player
  • An in-phone media player for music and video
  • Album art  - Choose music by browsing CD album art or other images
  • Blue tooth stereo (A2DP) - Music from phone to headset over a wireless connection.
  • PlayNow - Download music and games to your phone.
  • Music tones - MP3, AA

Web:

  • Bookmarks - Quick access to your favorite Web sites.
  • Google search - Find what you’re after with the Google search function.
  • Web feeds - Get the news in your phone as it happens.
  • Web browser - WebKit: Full Internet browser with support for standard protocols, images and video.

Entertainment:

  • Media - Media content in one place for fast and easy access.
  • 3D games - Enjoy quality games with full color and depth.
  • YouTube™ - View your favorite YouTube™ videos, or upload your own - access is easy via the YouTube™ application.
  • Video streaming - Realtime video streaming, e.g. live cam
  • Video Clip - Video clip viewing and transfer to another phone or PC
  • Sony Ericsson Mediascape - Get instant access to - and a perfect overview of - all your content.

Connectivity:

  • 3.5 mm audio jack - Share your music via the extra jack. Use any headphones with a standard-sized 3.5 mm connector.
  • Wisepilot™ turn-by-turn navigation* - Get live instructions for how to find your way to your destination - and have fun en route.
  • aGPS - Use GPS-powered location-based services.
  • Google Maps™ - Find your way to your destination.
  • Bluetooth™ technology - Secure wireless connectivity for transferring items to other Bluetooth™ products up to a range of 10 meters.
  • USB support - PC to phone USB cable support
  • WiFi™ - Utilize high-speed Internet at Wi-Fi™ hot spots at airports and other facilities.

Messaging:
  • Conversations - Say it via chat-style text messaging.
  • Email - Check your email inbox wherever you are.
  • Text messaging (SMS) - Send text greetings anywhere in the world.
  • Picture messaging (MMS) - Colourful multimedia messaging.
  • Predictive text input - Fast and easy text messaging.

Communication:

  • Facebook™ application - Stay in touch with your friends on Facebook™ through your phone.
  • Speakerphone - Loudspeaker suitable for using the phone as an office hands free
  • Vibrating Alert - The phone vibrates and you can feel when a call comes in
  • Sony Ericsson Timescape™ - All your communication with one person in one place.

Design:

  • Onscreen QWERTY keyboard - Easy typing with the full onscreen QWERTY keyboard.
  • Auto rotate - Switch from vertical to horizontal mode by rotating the phone. Whatever you're viewing will rotate to suit.
  • Picture wallpaper - Background picture on-screen when the phone is in standby mode

Organizer:

  • Touchscreen - Intuitive navigation – just touch the screen.
  • Alarm clock - Set a time, and your phone will ring at that time
  • Calendar - Fully functional calendar with day, week and month views and reminders
  • Calculator -Built-in fully functional calculator
  • Flight mode - Disable the radio receivers and transmitters in your phone so you can safely use other functions.
  • Phone book - Store names and phone numbers

"Sony  provided me with a free  Sony Ericsson X10  phone and a PSPgo and FIFA Soccer 10 game in connection with my  participation in  the Sony Ericsson/Sony Style X10 Blogger Contest, which requires me to  blog  about Sony and/or Sony  Ericsson Products."
www.sonystyle.com/X10

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From sadness to hope, this is my dream...

Before I start my post, I have to apologize to all of my friends for not posting as often as I normally would.  It has been over a week since I have been living in the ICU with my Grandfather.  Read post here.  The stress is taking it's toll on me.  Emotionally I am finally a wreck, and mentally I seem to just be blank. 


I wanted to share with you the only great thing that has happened to me in a very long time.
I entered a Blogger contest with Sony Style, and I was chosen as one of the Finalists, 1 of the 10 finalists ;)


Check out the Finalist page at Sony Style & the gorgeous Sony Ericsson X10
I will be back to tell you more about the phone ;)
I needed that piece of news so bad, it came during a time where my world seems to be crashing around me.  My hopes of my Grandfather getting better and getting out of here, seem to be loosing it's strength, as am I.

His spirits are so low it kills me to see him that way.  This was the Man who raised me, the Man that was always so strong and could do everything and anything.  He built his children's homes by hand, he helped his sons build their tow truck business by hand, welding those trucks into awesome monsters!
Now, he is broken, and not just physically, his mood and outlook on life is darker than the clouds outside.  The only time I have gotten him to smile with me was when I shared with him how excited I was that I was chosen as a finalist for the Sony contest.

The doctors and nurses try to cheer him up, as do I every minute of the day.  Speaking with the Nurses yesterday, they said we had to come up with a plan to have him look forward to something, so he could give himself the goal of getting better for that reason. 
Immediately I remembered the stories he used to tell us Grandchildren many many years ago. 
We used to sit in the backyard, next to the cars he was fixing, and so to keep us from running around and getting hurt, or knocking the car on top of him, he would tell us stories, such fun stories!!.
He would tell us about the time he wrestled a 12 foot alligator and made shoes and a purse for my Beautiful Grandma (RIP).
Or about the time he swam from Mazatlan, MEX to San Diego,CA with the sharks. 
One of the best ones was when he went skiing on a pair of crocodiles down the Amazon. 
Those were the most awesome stories, of course we knew they weren't real, but to hear and imagine them, it was just so fun!!!

I also remembered that my Grandfather owned every National Geographic magazine ever printed ;)  We would sit and read them together.  We would talk about how cool it would be to go here or there, and do this and that.  He always taught us the importance of reading and learning since a very early age.  My Grandfather had taught me to fully translate for my Family from English to Spanish by the age of 3.  Leaving people amazed all the time, That was my Grandpa. 

Back to my conversations with the Nurses, I told them about becoming a Finalists, and that as a Finalist I had won the Sony Ericsson X10 phone (which is still unreleased in the US), also winning a PSPgo and a FIFA 10 game.  I told them and my Grandfather about the Grand Prize, an 8 day trip to "The most beautiful place on earth" (as he calls it) Africa, and tickets to go to FIFA. 
My Grandfather got excited,the glimmer in his eyes was back.  He immediately started talking about how beautiful Africa is in the pictures and T.V.  How he would have fun walking the lions. 
It was so funny, it was fun, it was great to see him get happy and excited about something. 
Then the charge Nurse asked me to step outside with her, she asked me if I was to win the Grand Prize and get the trip to Africa, who would I take?
I have no idea I told her, my mind went blank suddenly. 
Then I heard this:
"Your Grandfather has been severely depressed since being here, if his health was to get better and you had the Doctor's clearance, would you ever consider taking him with you?"
OMG!!! That was the best idea ever!  He would always talk about going to Africa and wrestle lions in front of me, not that I want to see it happen, but just the thought of giving my Grandfather THAT wish, THE wish of a lifetime. 
It has given ME something to look forward too, something to give me hope that I will see my "strong" Grandfather up and about again. 
We (Nurses and myself) told my Grandfather that if I was to win the Trip to go to Africa and go to FIFA '10, if he would like to go to Africa with me.
You should have seen "that" glimmer in his big blue eyes again!!!
He smiled and made a funny face, he said he thinks he is never getting out of this hospital.  That he thinks he is going to go "upstairs" with my Grandma (RIP) from here. 
I told him that he had to hurry up and get better soon, so I could take him with me. 
He is the talk of the floor ;) Anytime a Nurse walks by his room, they peek in and tell him to hurry up so he can go to Africa with me ;)
Seeing a constant smile in his face has helped him and myself so much.

So now, it is MY wish to take my Grandpa to Africa with me.  Please help me by supporting me, by spreading the word for me, the more support I have, the better my chances are of making OUR dreams come true.

I am on Twitter @Militaryfamof8 and am Tweeting with the hash tag: #SENDMOMMY2FIFA


Two of the judging criteria in the Finalist Blogging Period is
1. Readership & Engagement
2. Ability to Generate Online Viral Buzz
 
The Judging will end this Sunday May 24, 10. 
Please help make this dream come true for us ;) 

For the first time, just comment love & RT's & FWD's will help make a dream come true.....
I need all the comment love possible!!! ;)

"Sony provided me with a free Sony Ericsson X10 phone and a PSPgo and FIFA Soccer 10 game in connection with my participation in the Sony Ericsson/Sony Style X10 Blogger Contest, which requires me to blog about Sony and/or Sony Ericsson Products."
www.sonystyle.com/X10


Share/Bookmark

I am a FINALIST for the Sony X10 Blogger Contest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

Cover your ears, because I am about to scream..............
                                          aAaAaAaAaAaAaAaA!!!!!!!!!

It was about time that something made me smile right? 
Smile? Who am I kidding?!?!??
More like SCREAM, GRIN, GIGGLE, and just plain cry for a great reason ;)

What is all this fuss about? You ask?
So happy that you want to know, because I can't wait to share with you and scream some more ;)...

First let me tell you why I needed something to smile about....
For those of you who frequent or don't frequent my blog, this and last week have been a downward roller coaster of my Grandfather's health, along with my sanity ;)  Of course it has been hard on the entire Family, all 14 of his kids, but since I have been the only one that has been by his bedside since last Monday night, I get bragging rights for loosing my mind this week, lol.  You guessed it, I have not left at all, OK, I did leave once for 1 1/2 hours while I went Downtown to The USO and took a quick shower.  My other shower was 2 days ago, I got permission to leave for 1 hour.  It was the first time I had seen my kids since last week. 
Do I hate living on the couch? YES! 
Am I exhausted from ONLY sleeping 3-4 hours out of every 24 hour period? YES!
Have I recovered from the first 45 hours of Trauma with absolutely no sleep or food for myself? NO!
Would I rather go home and leave my Grandfather alone in a cold lonely hospital? NO!!!!!!!
Not even a second thought about that last answer.  This is the Man that has helped raise me since my Father died when I was 4 yrs old. 
So needless to say, I was just waiting for ANY good news and boy did I get them!!!

The first form of good news was in an e-mail. 
The best e-mail I had gotten in a long time.  What it said as a whole is still a blur to me, (I credit the lifestyle I have led this last week, (giggles) ),  with a blurry mind, I remember reading:
Congratulations, you were among the 10 chosen finalists!
WHAT?!??!?
I was so happy and surprised, that I screamed with joy; and yes, I did wake up my grandpa because I read the e-mail while sitting on my couch, next to his bed ;)

What do you mean finalist for what?
Oh, I guess in my excitement I forgot to announce what I am a Finalist for right? 
Only for the most awesome contest ever!!!...


I entered The Sony Style X10 Blogger Contest. 
The entrants had to submit a 200 word post why they thought they would be a great blogger for Sony and Sony Ericsson.
Did I ever think I had any chance at all? Absolutely not!!!
I think I also told myself something along the lines of:
"you are so dumb for entering this contest, what are you thinking? You win a Blogger contest? Girl please, who are you kidding!?!??!?"

I had even gotten the contest out of my mind, never kept a bookmark in my brain for the day the finalists were going to be announced. 
WHOAH!!! was I surprised ;)
I am a Finalist for the Sony Style X10 Blogger Contest!!!!!!
Only 10 Finalists chosen ;)
C'mon, you know you want to scream with me!!!!!!!

Two days after sending in the required documents, I received the FIRST prize at my door.  Logically I wasn't home to see it, but my husband got the package and called me.  I gave him permission to open it and then I heard:
"WOW I am SO jealous!!"  You got a Sony X10 in the mail?!?! It's not even out yet!!!"
(let me tell you, that having my hubby be jealous of me is priceless!!!)  ;)

You have got to be kidding me, really?  I guess now that I think back, somewhere after telling me that I was a Finalist, it said that I had won a Sony Ericsson X10 phone.
Have you seen this baby?!?  It is absolutely gorgeous!!!
In my humble opinion, it's the best phone NOT out there (giggles)
  iwhat? (evil grin)
Look at the beauty...


The pictures do it no justice, let me tell you.  It's not just the looks either, the features of this phone make me giggle like a little girl ;)
I never imagined that I would have even the slightest chance of being a Finalist!  That's the truth.  Me, a blogger chosen by Sony? Yeah right!!!
Not me... or so I thought!!! ;)
Go ahead, go to the Contest page, be shocked for me ;) 
I told my Grandpa about the contest, the prizes and the Grand Prize, he smiled ;)  That was such a huge reaction for him. 
I will definitely be blogging more about the details and other prizes, stay tuned, and if you think I deserve to be here, show me some love and help spread the word for me ;)
The Sony Style X10 Blogger Contest

Did you really think I was going to let you go without giving you the specs of the most awesome phone I have EVER laid in my hands?!?!?!

Awesome Memory: Phone memory 1GB microSD up to 16GB, 8GB included

The entire phone ONLY weighs 4.8 ounces!!!

If I tell you about all the awesome specs this post will never finish,lol.  I will be back and dedicate an entire post for that.
I am so happy!!! 
I hope that you are happy for me ;)
I know my Grandfather is happy for me, and happy for what the contest means to me, I saw it in his smile ;)

"Sony provided me with a free Sony Ericsson X10 phone and a PSPgoFIFA Soccer 10 game in connection with my participation in the Sony Ericsson/Sony Style X10 Blogger Contest, which requires me to blog about Sony and/or Sony Ericsson Products."

It seems that my hospital stay just got extended...........

I have been keeping you up with what's been happening with my grandfather this last week, so logically as soon as I got my details together, I had to share with you...

Last night the Doctor came and asked to speak with me, the Granddaughter.   He told me that after checking the
CAT scans for the entire week, he noticed that the brain hemorrhage has in fact continued at a noticeable rate.  Long story short; there are two options:
1. we choose surgery for him.  As with any surgery there are risks, with a surgery taking place in the "brain territory", there is in fact more dangers.  The benefits would be that the hemorraging could be stopped.

2. we don't choose surgery for him.  He would be able to go home as soon as his other issues are taken care of, and he is brought to the hospital once or twice a month to monitor the bleeding.  Bad thing is, that at any moment, the bleeding could turn into a dam and there would be no time to get to the hospital.

After explaining all of the pros and cons, he gave me the task of calling all of my 14 aunts and uncles and telling them everything.  On top of that, I had to have each one give me their opinion on the surgery.  That was such a hard thing to do.  I was the one that had to make the phone calls when my Grandmother went to the hospital and when she passed away.  I am begining to notice a pattern here :/

I got through speaking with each one, making sure I gave every piece of information and that I kept my own opinion to myself.  Having to tell them that this operation was a complete risk to his life, and that not operating was the same risk; it was just heart breaking.  Let me tell you something, my Father passed away when I was 5 years old.  He passed away from a brain hemorrage.  All I keep hearing from everyone that has come to visit my Grandfather is that MY Daddy passed away from this, and that they have to make sure their Father doesn't pass away from the same thing.  I do understand of course that we must do what's possible to get my Grandfather better, but to hear about my Father passing away is so hard!!!!! 

Ok well let me finish, so the surgery got accepted by all of his children and I met with the Doctor and gave him the news.  Monday we are supposed to have a final meeting to get all of the details in order for the surgery. 

UPDATE:
the lab results came back at noon, and my Grandfather's blood count is very low, in a matter of 2 hours, he was being prepared for a blood transfusion of 2 units.  Mind you that on Weds, he has 2 units as well.  sigh :/

UPDATE & ADDITION::::::
Did we really think that would be all?  That things had finally gotten easy for us?  That all was left was brain surgery and we would be on our merry way???
I am begining to think that those kinds of endings are only in fairy tales :/

The Doctor in charge asked me to go out to the hallway with him today, told me he had some "news" to give me.  "hit me Doc" is what i told him, I knew in my heart it was not good...

It seems that my grandfather has contracted a very bad bacteria.  Yes, as if there were any good ones,lol. 
To tell you a little about it, it's called "acinetobacter baumannii"
it is a species of pathogenic bacteria that is resistant to most antibiotics. 
As a result of it's resistance to antibiotics, some estimates state that it is killing tens of thousands of hospital patients in the United States.   There have been many reports of this bacteria among American Soldiers that were wounded in Iraq, earning it "Iraqibacter" 
This is a multi-drug resistant acinetobacter baumannii , for short: MDRAB. 

The entire room has been "cleaned" thoroughly, and we all have to wear gloves and disposable scrubs.  We have to take them off before we leave the room, and put on a new set every time before we enter.   They are not sure how he got it, but the lab is working on finding an antibiotic that works.  In the meantime, kids are not allowed to come visit, so now I have no idea when I will see my babies again.


I have gotten so many bad news today, especially with the bacteria, that my spirits are very low.  My hopes were high with the brain surgery, and now it's been postponed until this issue is taken care of.  Hearing my Grandfather tell me all day that he just wants to quit, and give up, has just finally broke me down.  I am just so sad, broken.

My week of tears continues..........

oh my goodness, so on my last post about my week in the ICU, I forgot to mention that on top of all of this that we are going through with my grandfather, my moms car weas broken into and all of her items were stolen.

Yes, that's horrible, and this morning, my biggest personal blow came and hit me as hard as anything............

I found out that last night, I won a bingo on an online sweepstakes from a local casino for a prize of $500  cool right!?!?!?
No, I apparently had until 11pm to claim it and with no access to a computer in the ICU during that time, I lost my win.

Ohh, I am just so broken down right now!!!
sorry, i just had to rant :(

It has been a never-ending week!.......

I have been absent this last week, and it has not been because I am partying...

My grandfather as you know had been ill lately, he had finally started to do well last week and was able to walk.
On Monday, we went to visit my uncle in Mexico because he had surgery, and on the way upstairs, my grandfather lost his balance and fell off of the 4th step onto a concrete floor.

We called the ambulance, and they took my grandfather to the hospital.  We found out that he broke his shoulder, hip, and pelvic bone?

In order to do surgery on my grandfather, my Family had to pay cash lump sum deposit, it was outrageous.  So after A LOT of paperwork, calls, and tears, we finally arranged for my grandfather to be transferred from an ambulance to the Border, and from the US border, an ambulance would take him to the hospital here in the United States. 

On Tuesday the transfer happened, and he was brought to Sharp Memorial in San Diego, Ca.  He got admitted through the emergency room and a few hours later he was upstairs in his room.  All kinds of tests were started while in the ER and continued to this date.  In Mexico they were only planning to do surgery on his hip and shoulder, but after all of the testing here, they found so many more things....
My Grandfather has 2 failing kidneys
failing prostate,
broken "shoulder"
broken pelvic bone
broken hip socket
He has Brain Hemorrhage on both sides of the Brain.
Liquid "blood" in his lung.

He fell on his left side, so all the injuries are on the left side. 
He had one surgery yesterday, it was a filter on his "main" vein to filter for blood clots, since they can not give him blood thinners because of the brain hemorrhage.  Right now, as I type, he is in surgery to repair all of his broken bones at once.  Surgery is scheduled to be 7 hours.

I have been here since he got admitted on Tuesday, and when I say I have been here, i do not mean like the typical hospital visit that you may think.  Let me explain...
He got admitted on Tuesday at 2pm since then I had not left his room even to go to the bathroom or to get food until the next day at 11pm.  On Thursday at 3am I was trembling and felt so light headed because I had been with zero food or sleep, so the nurse sat with my grandfather while i took a 3 hr nap.   I have been awake again since 6am Thursday until now, you must know how I feel, other than being exhausted and hungry, I am emotionally drained and mentally done.
Running on 3 hrs of sleep since Monday is breaking me down, I have not even seen any of my kids since Monday. 
Yes, my grandfather has 14 kids of his own, yet I have been the only one by his bedside since this all started, and NO; I wouldn't let it be any other way.  This man has been my father figure since my father passed away when I was 4 years old.

I miss my babies so much, I miss blogging, and even just sitting and not having to scream for nurses.  Life has not been life.  At the same time, I would not trade this for the world, I made a promise to my grandmother before she passed away, that I would take care of him for her, and my word I will keep.

The reason I mentioned the name and location is because I wanted to share how much I appreciate the entire staff here at Sharp.  Everyone has been so nice, and helpful and understanding.  The amount of compassion and friendly smiles has helped me through a lot of tough times.

Have I mentioned I miss my babies??  I had tickets to a sneak preview of Shrek 3, for tomorrow and I won't be able to make it.
Saddest part is that I just found out tomorrow morning is my Daughters Basketball championship game.  :( this is going to be the first game I ever miss :(

If you are a person of Faith, please pray for my grandfather, and my sanity as well ;)

Thank you so much for those of you who still are here for me ;)

UPDATE:::::
oh my goodness, so on my post above, about my week in the ICU, I forgot to mention that on top of all of this that we are going through with my grandfather, my moms car was broken into and all of her items were stolen.

Yes, that's horrible, and this morning, my biggest personal blow came and hit me as hard as anything............

I found out that last night, I won a bingo on an online sweepstakes from a local casino for a prize of $500  cool right!?!?!?
No, I apparently had until 11pm to claim it and with no access to a computer in the ICU during that time, I lost my win.

Ohh, I am just so broken down right now!!!
sorry, i just had to rant :(


UPDATE AGAIN::::::
I have been keeping you up with what's been happening with my grandfather this last week, so logically as soon as I got my details together, I had to share with you...

Last night the Doctor came and asked to speak with me, the Granddaughter.   He told me that after checking the
CAT scans for the entire week, he noticed that the brain hemorrhage has in fact continued at a noticeable rate.  Long story short; there are two options:
1. we choose surgery for him.  As with any surgery there are risks, with a surgery taking place in the "brain territory", there is in fact more dangers.  The benefits would be that the hemorraging could be stopped.

2. we don't choose surgery for him.  He would be able to go home as soon as his other issues are taken care of, and he is brought to the hospital once or twice a month to monitor the bleeding.  Bad thing is, that at any moment, the bleeding could turn into a dam and there would be no time to get to the hospital.

After explaining all of the pros and cons, he gave me the task of calling all of my 14 aunts and uncles and telling them everything.  On top of that, I had to have each one give me their opinion on the surgery.  That was such a hard thing to do.  I was the one that had to make the phone calls when my Grandmother went to the hospital and when she passed away.  I am begining to notice a pattern here :/

I got through speaking with each one, making sure I gave every piece of information and that I kept my own opinion to myself.  Having to tell them that this operation was a complete risk to his life, and that not operating was the same risk; it was just heart breaking.  Let me tell you something, my Father passed away when I was 5 years old.  He passed away from a brain hemorrage.  All I keep hearing from everyone that has come to visit my Grandfather is that MY Daddy passed away from this, and that they have to make sure their Father doesn't pass away from the same thing.  I do understand of course that we must do what's possible to get my Grandfather better, but to hear about my Father passing away is so hard!!!!! 

Ok well let me finish, so the surgery got accepted by all of his children and I met with the Doctor and gave him the news.  Monday we are supposed to have a final meeting to get all of the details in order for the surgery. 

UPDATE:
the lab results came back at noon, and my Grandfather's blood count is very low, in a matter of 2 hours, he was being prepared for a blood transfusion of 2 units.  Mind you that on Weds, he has 2 units as well.  sigh :/

UPDATE & ADDITION::::::
Did we really think that would be all?  That things had finally gotten easy for us?  That all was left was brain surgery and we would be on our merry way???
I am begining to think that those kinds of endings are only in fairy tales :/


The Doctor in charge asked me to go out to the hallway with him today, told me he had some "news" to give me.  "hit me Doc" is what i told him, I knew in my heart it was not good...


It seems that my grandfather has contracted a very bad bacteria.  Yes, as if there were any good ones,lol.
To tell you a little about it, it's called "acinetobacter baumannii"
it is a species of pathogenic bacteria that is resistant to most antibiotics.
As a result of it's resistance to antibiotics, some estimates state that it is killing tens of thousands of hospital patients in the United States.   There have been many reports of this bacteria among American Soldiers that were wounded in Iraq, earning it "Iraqibacter" 
This is a multi-drug resistant acinetobacter baumannii , for short: MDRAB. 


The entire room has been "cleaned" thoroughly, and we all have to wear gloves and disposable scrubs.  We have to take them off before we leave the room, and put on a new set every time before we enter.   They are not sure how he got it, but the lab is working on finding an antibiotic that works.  In the meantime, kids are not allowed to come visit, so now I have no idea when I will see my babies again.

**I have gotten so many bad news today, especially with the bacteria, that my spirits are very low.  My hopes were high with the brain surgery, and now it's been postponed until this issue is taken care of.  Hearing my Grandfather tell me all day that he just wants to quit, and give up, has just finally broke me down.  I am just so sad, broken.

UPDATE 5/19:::
Well we didn't get to break out of this place yesterday after all.  Discharge papers were in and doctors came to do last exam, and immediately revoked his "walking" papers, lol.  My Grandfather's body is extremely swollen, and Doctors suddenly feared a blood clot.  After a lot of ultrasounds and X-rays, we are still here.  No word on when we are leaving or what the next steps are going to be.  For now, it's just a new set of meds. 

Tag, you're it!!! (new list starts on Tuesday)

Guess what?! We got through our 14th week of Tag ;)
It has been fun, I appreciate everyone who played along  ;)

If you don't know what "Tag, you're it!" or "Tag Tuesday" is, simply put, it's a game of Tag ;) 
You "Tag" your new friends and they "Tag" you as well.
(instead of leaving "following from..." comments which is what prompted me to start "Tag"
since I heard many friends say they didn't like how impersonal that sounded)

The Special "Quality" about "Tag, you're it" is that through this game,
you can post the url's to 
your blog, twitter, facebook, networkedblogs, Etsy store, links to voting pages that you are in, contest/giveaway pages and anywhere else you want followers in ;)
  • The Rules to playing "Tag, you're it" are simple:
  • add your information to the spreadsheet "Tag" everyone else above you on the list
    (Tag::add/follow the person and leave Tag comment)
  • Check back regularly to "Tag" new friends below you (list is open all week)
  •  "Tag" back everyone who has "Tagged" you (remember to add/follow in addition to leaving the Tag comment)
Here is the Spreadsheet

Also, if you can, help promote the word ;)
The more people know about Tag Tuesday, 
the more people will Tag you ;)

A BIG thank you goes out to
Stacie at Simply Stacie for always playing and posting "Tag, you're it!"

If you posted about "Tag, you're it!", pls send me a comment and I will post your ur ;)
Great "Taggers" who posted about "Tag, you're it!" ;)
Mz. Jazie from Step up & Stand out... For Real!

and just in case you really have to have a button ;)  
my daughter is showing off her skills:

"""Tag means you add/follow a person and leave a Tag comment in return"""

A Sweet message to all Women from the First Lady...

Dear Friend,
There's no way I could ever measure all that my own mother has done for me. She is my rock. She pushes me to be the best professional, mother, wife and friend I can be.
As a mother myself, I've come to realize that being a mom isn't always easy and that no one can do it alone.
My husband understands the many challenges facing today's mothers and their families. His Administration has taken steps to level the playing field and ease the burden.
The first bill the President signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to ensure that no women face the same discrimination and injustices that Lilly did after 20 years on the job. When women make less money than men for the same work, families have to work harder just to get by.
The President signed an Executive Order creating the first-ever White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all Federal agencies take women and girls into account in their daily work and to ensure that our daughters have the same opportunities as our sons.
Through the Let's Move! Initiative and the President's Task Force on Childhood Obesity, we're helping to provide parents with the knowledge and tools they need to make healthy choices for their children and teach their children to make healthy choices for themselves.
This week, we are celebrating Women's Health Week to promote steps women and girls can take to lead longer, healthier and happier lives.
Mother's Day is about showing our gratitude for the mothers and mother figures who have influenced our lives. The President and I would like to extend our warmest Mother's Day wishes to all of the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and friends who have inspired a child.
Happy Mother's Day!
Michelle Obama

Tag, you're it!!! (new list starts on Tuesday)

Guess what?! We got through our 13th week of Tag ;)
It has been fun, I appreciate everyone who played along  ;)

If you don't know what "Tag, you're it!" or "Tag Tuesday" is, simply put, it's a game of Tag ;) 
You "Tag" your new friends and they "Tag" you as well.
(instead of leaving "following from..." comments which is what prompted me to start "Tag"
since I heard many friends say they didn't like how impersonal that sounded)

The Special "Quality" about "Tag, you're it" is that through this game,
you can post the url's to 
your blog, twitter, facebook, networkedblogs, Etsy store, links to voting pages that you are in, contest/giveaway pages and anywhere else you want followers in ;)
  • The Rules to playing "Tag, you're it" are simple:
  • add your information to the spreadsheet "Tag" everyone else above you on the list
    (Tag::add/follow the person and leave Tag comment)
  • Check back regularly to "Tag" new friends below you (list is open all week)
  •  "Tag" back everyone who has "Tagged" you (remember to add/follow in addition to leaving the Tag comment)
Here is the Spreadsheet

Also, if you can, help promote the word ;)
The more people know about Tag Tuesday, 
the more people will Tag you ;)

A BIG thank you goes out to
Stacie at Simply Stacie for always playing and posting "Tag, you're it!"

If you posted about "Tag, you're it!", pls send me a comment and I will post your ur ;)
Great "Taggers" who posted about "Tag, you're it!" ;)
Mz. Jazie from Step up & Stand out... For Real!

and just in case you really have to have a button ;)  
my daughter is showing off her skills:

"""Tag means you add/follow a person and leave a Tag comment in return"""

yes, it's me ;)

I wanted to stop for a few minutes and say hello to my lovely friends ;)

I have been a bit absent from my normal blogging days for a few weeks now, and I know you all have noticed, I can tell by the lovely and supporting comments and e-mails ;)

Well the thing is, I know that many remember of my grandfather passing away, it had a very big impact on me.  Though I tried to hide the effects, like I always do, it didn't work.  I have just been in such a depressed state lately. 

Adding to that issue, my other grandfather has been doing poorly as time goes on, his health and organs seem to just go downhill.  Seeing my Mom trying to cope with that is just so hard.  She was born on his birthday, she was my grandfather's birthday present.  They have a very close bond, and it's just eating her up.  I could even say that i have seen her age years in the last couple of months :(

On top of that, my stepfather was admitted into the hospital a few weeks ago, he was diagnosed with emphysema and two days later with Congestive Heart Failure.  My mom dealt with my Father's passing 30 years ago, but to think that her husband and Father are getting so close to it, scares her and me so much.  I am not sure how she would be able to deal with all of that. 

Yeah, I can see while I type that it's no wonder that I have been so stressed and depressed lately, it's been rough around here.

I know it seems that it should stop here, lol, but it doesn't.  Things just never seem to stop or slow down around us. 

Izeah's behavioral issues have gotten severely worst.  I get calls from his after school program daily, and once he gets home things just don't seem to change much.  I am just overwhelmed with the complaints, and just basically the lack of options for my baby.

But why stop there?!??!? lol
I know that everyone knows we are a Military Family ;) , what some may not know is that we are a ONE income Family at that :/
We moved out of Military housing a year ago, and have been renting in the civilian world, yes I love the peace about being out of the "area"; but our rent and utilities are over $400 more than the alloted rent amount that we receive.  We are definitely living beyond our means here.  Every month is a battle to try to stretch the last dollars until payday, we fail MANY times. 

Being that I have been receiving blows from every direction, there was one missing right?
Something in our house going wrong, because let's face it, SOMETHING ALWAYS has to happen at our Mansion, lol.  On Friday April 30, the morning of our 11th Wedding Anniversary, our washing machine woke up dead lol.  Hubby took it apart and we tried to do everything every web page suggested, but there was no resurrecting it, RIP washer.  We have absolutely no money to buy a new one or used one, or even to go to the laundromat, just TRY TO IMAGINE such a large Family with no washing machine!!!!  It's full blown chaos!!!  I just about have gone bonkers thinking of what we could do to find another washer. 

Why not end it with something stinky?
On Saturday morning, hubby noticed a strong skunk smell, so we went to the backyard to check it out.  On the far end of the yard, there was a lifeless skunk.  We found a hole that looked brand new, and the skunk was a couple of feet from it.  We figured that our dog caught it as soon as it entered our yard.  Unfortunately we found out that our dog was sprayed a little too late :/  The dog tried to go pick up the skunk once he saw us, so hubby took him into the garage while we took care of the skunk.  When we went in the house to bring the dog back out, Goodness!!!!!!!!!! The entire house, garage and dog stunk!!!!  It's been 3 days, and all the blankets in the garage stink and we have no washer!!!!




Yes, that all has happened in the last couple of weeks, and I am so ready for things to stop.
It has been a downhill roller coaster and it just isn't fun anymore :/


On another note...
I know a lot of people that have stopped blogging about their personal lives because of the lack of "professionalism" when it comes to the representation of brands or companies.  I thought about that for a while, if it's the right thing to do.  Going through all these problems also made me think twice about blogging about them because I was afraid of what companies would think about my "professionalism".  After all of the thinking ;), I decided that I can't stop. 
I can't stop being me, it's why I started this blog in the first place, for the love of writing and sharing.  I love to tell the world about our daily adventures and our amazing ones as well ;)  I see that I had lost sight of myself for a while with all of these problems going on in our lives, but it's now more than ever; that I should blog about our lives right?  The overwhelming stress has brought me to the state I am in now, migraines, insomnia, loss of appetite, and depression.  Today, I am making a promise to myself that I am not going to let the 1,000,000 problems keep me from my love of blogging ;)

Well I apologize for the ranting, lol, I just wanted to make sure I let me friends know why I have been so absent.  Thank you so much for the love and support from everyone.  I hope to soon be able to share some GOOD news, if and whenever they decide to visit me, lol. 

HUGS!!!!